Bloodletting and the Maya | History | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

In which part of the world did the Maya live?
- Mexico and Central America ✓
- Egypt
- Mesoamerica ✓
- Benin
What is the job of an archaeologist?
- a person who scientifically studies humans and their customs
- a person who studies human history through excavating significant sites ✓
- a person who studies fossils
Match the features of a Maya city to its definition.
- ceremonial centre
  
  ⇔
  
  where people gathered for important events, e.g. religious rituals ✓
- ballcourt
  
  ⇔
  
  where “pok-ta-pok” was played ✓
- palaces
  
  ⇔
  
  buildings where rulers and nobility lived ✓
- temple-pyramid
  
  ⇔
  
  buildings dedicated to the gods ✓
Temples and other buildings within ceremonial centres were connected by raised paved roads known as ______.
- footpaths
- highways
- causeways ✓
- avenues
Maya cities often contained stelae, which are ______.
- city gates
- stone slabs decorated with pictures of Maya rulers and hieroglyphic writings ✓
- strong city walls
- water wells
Why was Mesoamerica an ideal area for ancient civilisations to develop? Match the feature to the reason.
- mountains
  
  ⇔
  
  influence weather patterns and water supply ✓
- rainforest
  
  ⇔
  
  provides timber for construction ✓
- plains
  
  ⇔
  
  fertile land for farming ✓
- coastal regions
  
  ⇔
  
  ideal for fishing and trade ✓

Exit quiz

Match the word to its meaning.
- lintel
  
  ⇔
  
  a beam such as a piece of stone or wood over a door or window ✓
- bloodletting
  
  ⇔
  
  the practice of cutting part of the body to release blood ✓
- hieroglyphs
  
  ⇔
  
  pictures or symbols that represent a word ✓
What is the purpose of a lintel?
- to support the bricks above a door or window ✓
- to carry the weight of the door
- to frame a door or window
- to open a door or window
Maya religious ceremonies often involved ______.
- sermons in Latin
- drinking blood
- bloodletting ✓
- yoga
On a stone lintel in the Maya city of Yaxchilán, archaeologists found a carving of a bloodletting ceremony with the following features:
- the king holding a torch ✓
- the king's wife pulling a thorned rope through her tongue ✓
- knives
- hieroglyphs ✓
Why did the king's wife pull the thorned rope through her tongue?
- to speak to the gods ✓
- to cure herself from disease
- to show that she and her husband were the rightful rulers ✓
- to cure her husband from disease
What do archaeologists believe the hieroglyphs on the lintel say?
- They were just decorations.
- when this bloodletting ritual happened ✓
- who was at the bloodletting ritual ✓
- why the bloodletting ritual was important ✓

Worksheet

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Lesson Details

Key learning points

In another Maya city, Yaxchilán, a carved stone lintel has helped archaeologists to understand a lot about Maya beliefs.
It shows a bloodletting ritual performed by Yaxchilán's king, Shield Jaguar the Great, and his wife, Lady K’ab’al Xook.
Lady K’ab'al Xook pulled a thorned rope through her tongue to make it bleed so that she could speak with the gods.
Bloodletting was important to the Maya; they believed the gods had let their blood to create the human race.
By bloodletting, Maya rulers showed their thanks to the gods, but also showed that they were the right people to rule.

Common misconception

Bloodletting was a common and widespread practice among all Maya individuals on a regular basis.

Bloodletting rituals were primarily performed by the Maya elite, such as rulers, priests, and nobles, and were often reserved for specific ceremonial occasions or important events.

Keywords

Lintel - a lintel is the beam such as a piece of stone or wood over a door or window which supports the bricks above the door or window
Bloodletting - bloodletting was the practice of cutting part of the body to release blood